Adapter for electric-lamp sockets.



G. I. SILBERT. ADAPTER FOR ELECTRIC LAMP SOGKETS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25, 1910.

Patented May 6, 1.913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. I. SILBERT.

ADAPTER I'OB. ELECTRIC LAMIJ SOGKETS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25, 1910.

Patented May 6, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

.yf M..

UNITED STATES ra'rnn'r charca.

GUSTAF I. SILBERT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR'TO FEDERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1913.

Application led August 25, 1910. Serial No. 578,949.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAF I. SILBERT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adapters for Electric-Lamp Sockets; and I do hereby de Clare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an adapter for electric lamp sockets provided with a switch for opening and closing the circuit of the lamp of that type known as a pull socket.

The invention consists in theniatters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings z-Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved pull socket adapter. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the adapter. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the adapter on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fi 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of F ig. 3. Fig. 6is a partial vertical section through the adapter in the same plane as that of Fig. 4, but looked at from the opposite direction. Fig. 7 is a vertical section through Fig. 6 on the line 7-7 thereof. Fig. 8 is a cross-section through Fig. 7 on the line 8-8 thereof. Fig. 9 is a partial vertical section through Fig. 8 on the line 9 9 thereof. Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13 are detail perspective views of different o erating parts of the switch mechanism whici will be more particularly referred to in thel description which follows. Fig. 14 is a View in perspec- `tive showing a part of the finishing shell.

In the views shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the drawings are made to full scale, while in Figs. 6 to 14, the parts are shown on an exaggerated scale.

A is the body of the adapter which is preferably made of porcelain or other nonconducting material. The body is made in two parts and colnprises upper and lower blocks A1, A2 which abut at their adjacent ends in a horizontal plane, as indicated at a, and which are provided, respectively, with recesses a1, a2 which together form a vertical, annular chamber4 Ax that incloses the operating parts of the switch `mechanism.

.The upper block A1 is cylindric and forms the plug member of t-he adapter. It is inc-losed by an externally threaded Contact shell B adapted to fit within the wall socket. The lower block A2 forms lthe socket member. It is a circular block of rounded crosssection and has a central annular boss on its upper end of substantially the diameter of the upper member A1, which boss is embraced by the lower edges of the shell B.

C is an internally threaded shell contact secured to the block A2 for the attachment of the lamp. Said shell is provided with a horizontal flange c at its upper end which lies in an arcuate recess a3 formed in the under face of the block A2.

l) is a finishing .shell surroundin the threaded contact shell C and insulated t erefromby an intermediate sleeve E of insulating material. The upper end of said shell D is embraced by an annular flange As formed on the block A2. Said flange 1s provided with diametrically opposed, inwardly from the body of the shell D near its upper edge and preferably formed by cutting strips from the body of the. shell, as indicated in Fig. 14. Vertical openings A5 are formed through the block A2 (see Fig. 5) above the shoulders A4 for the purpose of introducing a small tool by means of which the spring tongues d may be pushed'inward away from their engagement with the shoulders in order that the finishing shell may be removed. This forms a simple. construction for attaching the finishing shell in assembling the parts and one which provides for itsv ready removal for repairs or renewal. At the upper end of the plug shell B are formed horizont-al tongues b which en age within recesses b1 formed in the top o t e block A1. The block.A1 is provided with vertical grooves e on its outer surface in line with the tongues b and With vertical holes e1 in the block A?. through said grooves and openings and through the tongues b and the flange c of the socket shell, hold the'blocks A1, A2, together, support the lower contact shell C in place and serve to electrically connect the two shells. A sleeve F of insulating fixer is interposed between the shell B and the block A1.` Said sleeve covers the grooves e projecting shoulders A4 which are adapted f to engage spring metal tongues d projecting Bolts E1 extending and also insulates the chamber A* near its median line where its circular walls approach the engaging edges of the block.

G indicates t e central contact of the socket and H the central contact of the plug. The switch mechanism, by means of which the lamp circuit is opened-or'closed, is located between said central contacts and is adapted to make and break connection between them. The central contact G of the socket projects below a boss G1 formed on the lower face of the block A2 and serving to insulate said central contact member from the shell flange c. Said contact G is provided with an extension g which rests in a depression g1 to one side of the boss G1 and is retained in place on the block A2 by meansof a screw g2 which passes through a recess'gs opening int-o the chamber AX. In the lower circular wall of said chamber there is embedded an arcuate contact J provided witha lateral off-set j having a screwthreaded recess to receive the threaded end of the screw g2, which thus retains the central contact G and the arcuate contact J in place and also electrically connects them. The central contact H of the plug consists of an upset flange on a vert-ical tube h which is located in a recess h1 in the upper block A1. Said tube projects through the upper curved wall of the chamber Ac where it is provided with a bur h2 to retain it in place.

`A.n arcuate contact K is located in the upper wall of the chamber Ax to one side of said tube h and vertically above the arcuate contact J and is retained in place by means of said bur h2. At' the opposite ends of said contact K the curved wall of the chamber is recessed to form shoulders K1 K2, the purpose of which will presently appear.

The engaging faces of the blocks A1 A2 are grooved to one side of the chamber to form a central, lateral extension M of said chamber. The walls of said extension are notched to receive the square head m of a bolt M1 which has its opposite end located in grooves m1. in the engaging faces of said blocks which together form a recess m2 to receive the end of said bolt. Said bolt forms a. journal for a'pulley N and a disk P which are located side by side in the chamber A, The disk P, (shown inperspective in Fig.

11,) is provided with a series of annularly arranged slots or openings p which are adapted to be engaged by a series of similarly arranged ratchet teeth n formedon a plate nl which is secured to the adjacent face of the pulley N. (See Fig. 10). A coiled spring Q is mounted on the bolt M1 and has one end in fixed engagement with the pulley N and its opposite end locked between the bolt-head m and the wall of the recessed the notches p of the disk to lock said arm to the disk when the disk is rotated in the direction of the arrow. (Said arm is shown in perspective in Fig. 1:2.) Pivotally mounted at the opposite en ds of said arm R are spring controlled pawls S (see Fig. 13 which is a perspective view of one of said pawls,) having arcuate flanges 8 which are adapted to engage the arcuate contacts J, K. A washer r1 is interposed between the swinging arm R and the adjacent fiat wall of the chamber A".

The spring Q holds the pulley with the ratchet teeth n in yielding engagement with the notches p of the disk P, so that when the pulley Nis turned in one direction, said ratchet teeth engage said notches and rotate the disk P with the ulley whereas when said pulley is rotated m the o posite direction, the 'pulley yields away rom the disk to permit said teeth to pass by said notches without any effect in rotatin the disk. ln addition, by reason of the rlgid connection of the ends of said spring, as above described, it acts as a torsional spring to return said pulley to its initial position after it has been rotated beyond that position in the operation of the switch.

The pawls S are pivoted to the arm R by means of short screws s1 and are held yieldingly in engagement with the outer curved wall of the chamber Ax by means of springs s2 which are attached at one end to lugs s3 formed on said pawls -and at the ot er end to lugs r2 formed on said arm. llt is apparent that by reason of the engagement of the lugs r in the notches p, the rotation of the disk P in the direction, of the arrow will cause the rotation of the arm R. To the pulley N is attached a cord T which is given a half turn about said pulley. Said cord passes out through an opening T1 in the lower block A2 which connects the chamber Ax with the space outside of said block. A horn U with a flared outer end is 1nountfriction in the operation ofthe cord.

The operation of the deviceis as follows: When 'the parts of the switch are in the position indicated in the drawings, the central contacts of the plug and socket of the adapter are connected together through the arcuate contact K, the upper pawl S, the swinging arm R, the lower pawl S and the lower arcuate contact J. In this position the circuit is closed and the lamp is burning. To break the circuit the cord T is pulled downwardly. This rotates the pulley N in the direction of the arrow, which is continued until the cord hasheen unwound from the pulley, when the arcuate flanges s of the pawls S will have passed beyond the ends of the arcuate contacts J,

yond its arcuate Contact, it swings out- Wardly about its pivotal point under the action of the springs s2 to engage behind the shoulder K2, which locks it against backward rotation when the cord is released and the spring Q, acting torsionally, returns the pulley to its initial position. The disk P remains stationary, as the ratchet teeth, by

reason of the yielding action of the spring, slide by the openings p in said disk Without effect. To turn on the light, the cord is againv pulled, whereupon the pawl S which was down before, will be rotated into the upper position so as to engage behind the shoulder K1, which locks it, upon the release of the cord, in contact with the upper arcuate contact K, with the pawl S, which was formerly in the upper position, in contact with the lower arcuate contact J. This closes the circuit again and lights the lamp.

IVhile I have shown herein certain details of mechanical construction which embody the preferred form of my improved adapter it is to be understood that these may be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention and I do not Wish to be limited to the construction and arrangement shown herein except as pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In an electric lamp socket, a body of insulating material inclosing a flat substantially circular chamber, arcuate contacts lo cated on opposite sides of the peripheral Wall of said chamber, one of said contacts being connected with a line terminal and the other being connected with one of the lamp contacts, a non-rotatable transverse shaft fixed in said chamber Walls, a pulley loosely mounted on said shaft, spring-controlled pawls carried at the ends of said arm and provided with contacts adapted for engagement with said arcuate contacts, means interposed between said arm and said pulley adapted to rotate said arm when said pulley rotates in one direction but to permit said pulley to rotate freely in the opposite direction Without affecting said arm, offsets formed in the peripheral wall of said chamber at the ends of one of the said arcuate contacts, against which offsets said paWls are adapted to engage to prevent backward rotation of the same, and a flexible member attached at one end to said pulley and projecting at its other end through a passage provided in said insulating body.

2. In a lamp fixture, in combination with a block provided with an annular face, an annular recess in its facefa metallic shell fitting in said recess, longitudinal apertures in said plug radially beyond said recess,

vsaid apertures terminating in shoulders. and

ton ues punched in the Walls of said metalhc shell adapted to be forced into said recess and to spring beyond` the Walls of said shell and engage said slioulders at the ends of said longitudinal apertures.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I atlix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 19th day of August A. D. 1910.

GUSTAF I. SILBERT.

\Vitnesses:

G. R. IVILKINS, T.l H. ALFREDS. 

